- Taita Taveta launched Gaye Rural SACCO to expand affordable credit for farmers.
- The SACCO will receive a Ksh3 million matching grant under NAVCDP.
- Leaders say the initiative will strengthen farming and boost rural incomes.
Farmers in Taita Taveta County have for years turned to informal lenders and middlemen for credit, often at the cost of fair prices and control over their own produce.
The county government is now betting on Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) to break that cycle, launching Gaye Rural SACCO in Kasighau Ward as part of a wider plan to roll out cooperative institutions across all 20 wards and strengthen food security.
Gaye Rural SACCO is among 14 SACCOs set to receive Ksh3 million each in matching grants under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP). Six SACCOs have already received a combined Ksh3.8 million under the same programme.
Speaking during the launch, Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo said the SACCO would provide affordable financial services, cut out exploitative middlemen, promote value addition and support sustainable agribusiness.
The SACCO was formed through a partnership between the county government and NAVCDP, which supports farmer organizations to boost agricultural productivity. The county has committed Ksh3 million in matching grants for each SACCO across all 20 wards, awarded on a shilling-for-shilling savings basis.
Kilalo urged residents to register and save through Gaye Rural SACCO to position themselves to benefit from government agricultural programmes.
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County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Livestock, Cooperatives, Irrigation and Blue Economy Katuu Mzenge encouraged members to increase their savings, saying stronger capital mobilization would help the SACCO unlock the full Ksh3 million matching grant.
Chief Officer for Agriculture Mcharo Mwalugha said farmers must belong to both a SACCO and a cooperative society to access NAVCDP opportunities, calling organized farmer institutions central to agricultural transformation.
Kasighau Member of County Assembly (MCA) Amos Makalo lauded the initiative, describing the SACCO as a game changer for local farmers. He urged residents to embrace the programme by registering, saving consistently and working together, noting that strong farmer institutions are essential for increasing productivity, creating wealth and transforming livelihoods across Kasighau Ward.
The launch builds on momentum the county has built over recent years. Taita Taveta currently has 281 registered cooperative societies, including 20 ward SACCOs set up to widen access to financial services at the grassroots, according to the county government.
Through NAVCDP, 20 SACCOs have already received inclusion grants worth Ksh19.2 million, in addition to the matching grant disbursements. County leaders say the wider SACCO rollout is designed to strengthen agricultural value chains and accelerate rural economic development, though its ultimate success will depend on whether easier credit access translates into higher incomes for the farmers it was built to serve.
By Benedict Aoya
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